Reunion
by Little Cinch
Summary: SPOILERS through 4x10 Inmates! AU after that point, though spoilers for later episodes may exist, too. The prison group reunites. Rating upped to M for language, violence, and adult themes.
1. Reunion

**SPOILERS through 4x10 Inmates! AU after that point.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with The Walking Dead. This is for my own entertainment and definitely not for profit.**

**This is an itty bitty drabble that fell out of my head as I tried and failed to sleep last night. It's not intended to be anything more than it is now, but who knows what insomnia will bring. **

**Sorry I've been MIA of late – bit of writers block followed immediately by family emergency. Back now!**

**Yes, I know the two groups walked opposite directions on the tracks, but I don't care. Nyah.**

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Daryl trudged along behind Beth, not really caring what happened from here on out. He stayed with her out of habit more than anything, unable to let go completely of the protectiveness he had for his family.

His family that was now gone.

He felt in a fog after the nightmare at the prison. So much death. So much loss. He and Beth had fled at the last minute, dodging swarms of walkers as they went. Only their well-developed survival instincts had kept them alive.

Beth had been hopeful at first, believing so strongly in her father's words of faith that she refused to accept that they were alone. But after finding the bloody remains by the railroad tracks, even she had lost hope. They followed the train tracks just because they were there. They kept moving only because they had nothing else to do.

That night they built a small fire, but he didn't really sleep. He just stared into the flames and waited for the night to end.

They smothered their fire before dawn and kept walking. Just before the sun broke over the horizon, he caught the faint scent of wood smoke. Scanning the trees ahead, he saw a spot that was disturbed – someone had walked through the underbrush there. He waved Beth to a stop. Raising his crossbow, he moved softly toward the trail. They slipped quietly through the trees, following the scuffed earth and bruised greenery. The smell of smoke grew stronger, and he heard a rustling and the murmur of voices just ahead. They crept slowly forward until the camp came into view. He stopped in his tracks, unable to believe what he saw.

Behind him, Beth sobbed out, "Judith!"

The group in the camp turned at her voice to see Beth running forward to scoop Judith up. She dropped to her knees, holding the baby tight and reaching out to pull Mika and Lizzie into an awkward, four-person embrace.

"I can't believe we found you! We thought everyone was dead!" Her words were nearly unintelligible, she was crying so hard.

Tyreese stood looking shocked and eventually broke into a wide grin as he took in what was happening. He patted Beth warmly on the shoulder in welcome, causing her to wobble with her squealing burden.

But Daryl noticed none of that. He still stood where he had stopped, crossbow on the ground where it had fallen from his fingers. Part of his mind was trying to decide if he was asleep and dreaming. The rest of him simply soaked in the sight of the last person he would have thought to find out here in the woods.

He saw it in slow motion. Carol was sitting on the ground by the girls in front of the fire and, at Beth's first cry, turned to look behind her, hand reaching for her knife. But as she recognized Beth, she relaxed into a surprised smile. Then her eyes shifted farther back to find him and her smile melted into shock. Her blue eyes never left him as she rose to her feet. For just a moment, she seemed struck immobile just like him.

He felt one of his hands reach forward, though he couldn't make his feet move. That small gesture was enough to break the stillness between them. Her face lit up in pure joy, and she took a step toward him. Next thing he knew, he staggered back from the force of her body colliding with his, her arms locked tightly around his neck.

"Oh my god!" She was somewhere between laughing and crying as she clung to him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her, hardly believing she was really here.

"Thought I'd never see you again." His voice was raw.

She pulled back to look up into his face with wet, shining eyes. "Me, too."

"When Rick said what happened-"

He was cut off as she grabbed his face and pulled his lips roughly to hers. It was a quick, fierce kiss, and the intensity of it left him breathless. His whole body tingled as every nerve lit up in response. She wound her arms around his neck again. Her breath tickled him as she whispered into his ear.

"Tyreese doesn't know."

He froze, realizing the potential danger of the situation. He nodded slightly against her cheek. She relaxed and started to back away, but he didn't let her go. Instead he drew her closer, pressing his nose into the join of her neck and shoulder, breathing her in deep. He had no idea what made him do it, but his relief at finding others – at finding _her_ – was enough to make him forget anything but the feel of her in his arms.

"Missed you," he said softly and pressed a kiss to the pulse beating in her throat. She gave a little gasp and shivered at the touch of his lips.

He eased back, and she smiled up at him with a flush in her cheeks.

"Missed you, too, Pookie," she said.


	2. Confession

**Stuff still happening with this one after all. It was talking to me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff or these thaangs.**

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"Missed you, too, Pookie."

Her words, seeing her here, feeling her in his arms – it did a lot to soothe Daryl's pain from the events of the last couple days. They'd lost their home and most of their family, but he had Carol.

Suddenly realizing they had an audience, he let her go to retrieve his crossbow from where it had fallen. With a brief glance and subtle smile at Carol, he let his fingertips brush the small of her back, guiding her back over to the rest of the group.

Smiling broadly, she knelt down to join the dog-pile with Beth at the middle. Beth was still crying and talking and trying to wipe her nose. Carol gave the young woman a kiss on the cheek and petted her head, trying fruitlessly to smooth her tangled hair. Tyreese made his way around the soppy cluster and reached out to offer Daryl a handshake and a one armed man-hug, though they both would deny any hugging happened.

"Food? Water?" Carol the mother hen was the first to ask, of course. Daryl and Beth both accepted what was offered gratefully. They hadn't had much the last day and a half.

They all gathered around the fire, and as they ate their meager breakfast they quietly shared everything they'd seen at the prison, filling in as many gaps as they could. Carol hugged Beth and didn't try to hold back her tears on hearing of Hershel's death. Ty had seen Maggie, Sasha, and Bob together, but after covering their escape, that was the last he saw of them. When he'd gathered up the kids, they had run the opposite direction. No one knew who made it to the bus, though it had definitely left the prison. Michonne had been outside the fence, and no one saw Rick once the shooting started. Carl had been near Daryl, but he'd lost track of him quickly. Carol had only seen the very end of the fight and followed Tyreese and the girls when she saw them escape into the woods. Lizzie announced that after she shot those two people, the other kids ran off, but she didn't know which direction.

After Lizzie spoke, Daryl noticed that Carol pulled the girl closer to her and kept an arm around her. He wondered how the hell a twelve year old girl ended up killing two people in the middle of a firefight.

Their discussion shifted over to planning what to do next. They needed shelter, food, and clean water. Judith would be out of formula far too soon, as well.

"We met some people," Tyreese offered. "They were bit, but they said to follow the tracks – there's signs along the way, with a map. It's supposed to be safe. A sanctuary."

"Seriously? You trust that?" Daryl wasn't inclined to believe help would be found so easily.

"Can we afford not to?" Beth asked with a worried frown.

Carol turned to Daryl. "We should at least go check it out. See what it looks like. I don't know how long we can survive out here with Judith and the girls."

Lizzie looked up at Carol, her brow scrunched up. "We can take care of ourselves. You taught us how. We're strong."

Smiling down at her, Carol gave the girl a squeeze. "I know, honey, and I'm proud of you both."

Lizzie nodded and went back to squishing ants with the butt of her knife.

"All right. If you all wanna check it out, I ain't gonna argue. But I don't wanna be paradin' in there with targets painted on our foreheads. We get close, I can scout it out," Daryl said.

After everyone finished eating, they started gathering up their few belongings. Daryl met Carol's eye and tipped his head away from the group. She followed him a few steps away. Keeping his voice low, he said, "Sorry about before. I didn't even think about Tyreese, and that was just dumb as hell."

She threw a quick glance over her shoulder and whispered, "I've got to talk to you about that, but not right now. As soon as we can get some space, OK?"

He nodded. As soon as Rick said she had confessed to murder, he knew it wasn't true. He was sure that's what she needed to tell him.

Once the fire was put out, the little group headed back toward the railroad tracks – toward this supposed sanctuary. They followed the rails for hours, stopping now and then to rest or take care of Judith's digestive system. If it wasn't something going in one end, it was coming out the other, so baby stops were fairly frequent.

For her part, Judith seemed delighted that Beth had appeared to entertain her and fussed if anyone else tried to hold her. It was clearly taking a toll on Beth. She looked exhausted. Daryl suggested they take a break and see if Judith would sleep for a bit. He would take the time to hunt a little – maybe bring a couple of squirrels back or something. Giving the excuse of a full bladder, Carol went with him a little way into the woods so they could talk.

When they were alone, Daryl asked, "You really tell Rick you killed Karen and David?"

She nodded, watching his face carefully.

"So who really did it? Who you covering for?"

She dropped her gaze to the leaf litter at her feet. "It was Lizzie. God, I don't know what to do! When I told Rick I did it, I was just trying to protect her. I didn't realize he was going to throw me out – I thought I'd be there to help her. Ryan made me promise I'd take care of his girls, and that was what I was trying to do."

Her eyes found his and bored into them. "When I went in to check on Karen and David that day, she was there. Her hands were covered in blood, and she was just _looking_ at Karen. She cut their throats and watched them bleed out. And she didn't seem to understand why I was upset."

She reached out and gripped his wrist, which surprised him. "But it's worse. Daryl, there's something _really_ wrong with her. When I caught up to the girls yesterday, Judith was screaming and there were walkers coming for them. Lizzie...she nearly smothered Judy, and if I hadn't been there, I have no doubt she would have done it. And now today? She killed two more people during the fight? She's not right. At first I thought I could help her, but now I don't know. I don't know what to do."

Daryl reached out and drew her into his arms. He had no idea what to do either, but he didn't like seeing her suffer over a child again.

"We'll figure it out." It was the best he could come up with to say.

"I can't tell Tyreese. I don't know what he would do, and I can't let him hurt her. She isn't right, but she's still just a child."

He took her shoulders and held her at arms' length. "We'll figure it out."

She sighed deeply and nodded, reaching up to put a hand on his wrist. "I better get back. Stay safe, OK?"

"You, too." He studied her for a moment before adding, "I knew it wasn' you. Rick's an asshole."

A smile cracked through the stress and worry on her face. "Yeah."

He cupped her jaw with one hand and brushed his thumb along her cheek. "That's my girl. Smile looks good on you."

"Stop!" Color rose in her cheeks.

He dropped his hands and backed off a bit. "Back soon."

She nodded and took a step back toward where the group was resting.

Hefting his crossbow, he turned and strode into the woods to try and find them some lunch.


	3. Accusation

**Finally figured out where I wanted to go with this. So here's step one in that direction. Hope it doesn't suck.  
**

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Daryl returned after an hour or so with three good sized hares. He figured he'd clean them when they made camp for the night. If Carol hadn't talked to him earlier he might not have noticed, but Lizzie seemed interested in the animals hanging at his belt, throwing long looks at them. Frowning a little, he hoped like hell they could figure out how to handle the girl.

"You all see any walkers while I was gone?" he asked the group. "I only ran across one."

Tyreese shook his head thoughtfully. "Maybe most of 'em in the area were drawn in by the noise at the prison. There were a whole lot of them headed that way when we got out. If we're lucky, maybe they'll be thin on the ground for a while."

"Ain't countin' my chickens, but it'd sure be nice."

A few minutes later, Asskicker woke up hungry. Fortunately for Beth, Judith didn't seem to mind being fed by Carol this time, so they would hopefully be able to split up baby packing duty so no one got too tired. They got underway as soon as the baby was full, dry, and happy again. They plodded along, making reasonable time considering half their group hadn't hit their teens yet. In the whole time they traveled, only two walkers approached them, which were easily taken out. It bothered Daryl that they weren't seeing more of them, but he decided to take it as a good thing for now.

A couple hours into the walk, Tyreese drifted to Daryl's side and slowed his pace, indicating with a glance that he wanted to talk. So they eased themselves back from the others just enough to be able to speak quietly without being overheard.

"Hey, I wanted to ask if you'd help me keep an eye on Lizzie. I know she's got Carol and all, but...I got a funny feeling," Tyreese murmured.

"Why's that?" Daryl asked, dread creeping in.

"It's probably nothin', but she's said some things. Don't even think I can explain it, but it struck me as weird. And you should have seen her at the prison, man. I was pinned down by a couple of the Governor's folks, and she came in and put those two people down with no more concern than if she were puttin' down a walker. She saved my life, but, man, she was ice cold. So, I dunno. Just...let me know if anything feels off to you."

Daryl kept his eyes down, but nodded. "Yeah, all right."

"Thanks, man," said Tyreese as he picked up the pace again to merge back into the group slogging along ahead of them.

Shit. If Ty was already thinking Lizzie was kinda off, he might figure out she'd killed Karen, and then who knows what might happen.

With a sigh and a kick to the ground that sent gravel skittering ahead of him, he hustled up to join the others.

About the time the kids were tiring out and the baby was getting fed up with being packed around, the tracks they were following cut through a small town. It wasn't big enough for a depot or anything, just flashers and gates to warn of oncoming trains at the one road that crossed the tracks. They could find shelter for the night here and maybe scavenge some food to go with the game hanging from Daryl's belt.

They left the tracks and headed down into a residential area, where the houses were old and on large lots. The one they picked was a good sized two story with a couple of huge live oaks in the front yard and a big stonework wood-fire grill in the back. It was part of a fancy patio that was clearly much newer than the house itself. There was even a little shed that had wood to burn in it – peach or maybe apple wood.

Daryl and Tyreese went in to clear the front room before the others came inside the house. Carol and Beth stayed with the kids while they finished clearing the rest of the place. There was still no sign of walkers, which at least meant the house smelled better than most.

"Beth, would you feed and change Judith? I can go get the fire started for dinner," Carol said, putting a hand out toward Daryl for the hares.

He passed them to her. "Me an' Ty can go check out the nearby houses – see if we can scrounge up a little more dinner. How much formula we got?"

Beth dug through the diaper bag. "Only enough for about a day and a half, and that's if we stretch it, which would mean a very cranky girl. We're reeeeeally going to want to find some more diapers soon, too."

Daryl glanced to Ty and they both gave a quick nod. They had their mission.

He paused next to Carol as Ty headed out the front door. "You be all right here with the chitlins?"

"We'll be fine. Beth's got Judith, and the girls can help me keep watch while we get dinner started."

"OK, well...stay safe," he added.

She smiled up at him. "Nine lives. See you soon."

She leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek before taking the girls and the hares out to the patio. The touch of her lips set his blood on fire, and he savored the burn as he watched her go. When he turned to follow Tyreese out the door, Daryl saw Beth grinning smugly from the chair in the corner where she was fixing to feed Asskicker.

"Something you wanna share with the class, Mr. Dixon?"

He gave her his fiercest scowl. "Shut up."

A sudden bellowing shout from outside made them flinch and instantly killed the teasing mood. Daryl burst through the front door, bringing his crossbow up to bear on whatever had caused Tyreese to cry out an alarm. It took a second to register that the noise was from excitement rather than fear. Ty had almost completely enveloped his sister Sasha in a massive bear hug. Grinning madly behind them were Maggie and Bob. It looked like Bob had injured his arm, but overall, they looked to be fine.

There was a shriek from behind him as Beth peered out the door and saw her sister. "Maggie!"

The two of them met each other in a tearful embrace, careful not to crush the baby. They were crying and talking over each other in their excitement. Eventually all the siblings settled down enough for words to be understood.

"We were following the train tracks," Maggie explained. "We stopped here to look for food and supplies, and were on our way to find a place to hole up for the night."

"Looks like we found a place," Bob piped up with a smirk.

"And then Sasha saw Tyreese up there on the porch..." Maggie's smile vanished as her voice trailed off uncertainly. "Carol?"

Fuck. Daryl edged himself closer to the porch where Carol was now standing with Lizzie and Mika on either side.

Maggie's face flushed. "Tyreese, what is she doing here? Rick said-"

"_Rick_ was mistaken." Daryl cut her off, trying to stop her before she could cause a disaster.

"Oh yeah? What'd she tell you?"

Tyreese held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa. Rick said what? What are you talking about? Why shouldn't Carol be here?"

Maggie turned to him. "So nobody's bothered to mention that Carol's the one who killed Karen? Rick threw her out of the prison for it."

Ty's confusion shifted to a boiling fury as he processed what she'd just told him. "WHAT?"

His eyes bulged as his glare locked onto Carol on the porch, who was pushing the girls behind her.

"Tyreese! It ain't true!" Daryl put out a hand to try calming the berserker rage he could see was brewing.

But Ty didn't hear him. He took a halting step forward, then launched himself toward the porch, arms outstretched, aiming to tear Carol apart with his bare hands. Daryl stepped in front of him. Tyreese was a much larger man, but generally a gentle person. Daryl on the other hand had been in more scraps than he could count, let alone remember, and knew how to handle himself. As Ty barreled forward, Daryl caught his arm and forced him to one side, using his own momentum to derail him from his path. As the big man went past, Daryl kicked a leg out from under him to bring him to the ground. He planted a knee in the middle of Ty's broad back and twisted his arm up hard, clamping his other hand on the back of his neck. Sasha and Maggie were screaming at them to stop. Tyreese roared his fury, but couldn't get enough leverage to dislodge Daryl.

He shouted in Tyreese's ear, trying to break through the blind rage to the intelligent man beneath. "What the hell did I just say? It wasn' Carol killed Karen! Rick was wrong – Carol didn' do it!"

"But Rick said-" Maggie broke in, but Daryl cut her off again.

"_Dammit_, I'm tellin' you Rick ain't got it right! And you're makin' shit worse, so shut the hell up!"

Maggie reared back at his tone, looking insulted but a little uneasy, like she suddenly realized she might not have all the facts. Sasha had her hands over her mouth, watching it all with wide eyes. Carol hadn't moved. Mika was crying and trembling by the front door, but Lizzie stood calmly by Carol's side, one hand holding tight to Carol's belt and her eyes fixed on the two men below.

Some of the fight went out of Tyreese, but Daryl didn't let go. "I know you're pissed, but I gotta know you can talk about this without losin' your shit 'fore I let you loose."

Puffing huge breaths, Tyreese eventually nodded. "I'll listen."

Daryl carefully released his hold, and both men rose to their feet.

Carol spoke up for the first time. "Tyreese, I'm sorry. There are things I can't tell you, but I promise you I didn't kill Karen and David."

"But Rick said you _told_ him you did it!" Maggie blurted out, making Daryl grit his teeth and glare.

Carol tipped her head in acknowledgment. "I did tell him that. I thought it was the best thing to do at the time, but it was a lie."

Daryl kept a close eye on the big man before him. "Ty?"

Tyreese was clearly struggling, breathing hard and twitching from the urge to DO something, but he kept himself in check. "Do you know who did it?"

Carol kept silent.

Ty's face hardened. "Why can't you tell me?"

"It's not my place to tell. I'm truly sorry, Tyreese, but I can't."

He paced back and forth as he turned it over in his head. "I need some time to think about this."

Carol nodded. "I understand."

Daryl watched the exchange, noting that while it was still tense, the level of aggression had dropped. "Why don't we gather up our supplies and see what we still need? We got a little food needs cookin' out back – that'll take a while. Sasha, you all see any baby stuff while you were out there? We need shit for Asskicker."

Sasha looked at him blankly for a moment before blinking herself back to the question. "Uh, yeah, I think so. There was at least one place that had kid stuff all around."

"You and Tyreese willin' to go gather up what you can? Food'll be ready by the time you get back."

Sasha looked to Tyreese, who nodded. "Sure."

Maggie dropped the pack she had slung over her shoulder and said sourly, "Here's most of what we already found. I'm going with them."

"Me, too!" added Bob, glancing at Sasha.

Though unhappy about Maggie leaving, Beth chose to stay. "I need to keep an eye on Judith."

The group separated, easing the strain for a while. For all Daryl knew, the others wouldn't ever come back, and at the moment, he wasn't sure which option he preferred.

He crossed to the porch and waited until Carol had calmed Mika and sent both girls to the kitchen to search for food. Taking her elbow, he guided her into the front room away from everyone else. She was badly shaken but seemed to be holding it together. "You all right?"

She sighed deeply before answering with a shrug. "I guess so. I don't know if he'll accept that I can't tell him what really happened. Maybe if it was just us, but if Maggie's had all this time believing Rick...I don't know."

"We'll figure it out. He ain't gonna hurt you or anybody else. Even if you and me and the girls gotta take off on our own, we'll figure it out."

Her eyes were luminous as she looked up at him, and it made his breath catch in his chest. He must have said something right to have earned that look. She reached for him then, slipping her arms beneath his leather vest and around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. Her warmth and her scent loosened the knot in his gut.

Eventually she pulled away and sniffed subtly. "I need to get dinner going," she said as she disappeared toward the back door.

Daryl watched her go with a touch of a smile on his face. He turned to head up front for guard duty and saw Beth standing in the doorway watching him with her eyebrows up, looking smug.

"Shut up."


	4. Escalation

**Disclaimer: Not mine, please and thank you. Wish they were, cuz the story would be a WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT in this back eight.  
**

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All the noise and fighting failed to draw any walkers, though they kept a close watch as they waited for the others to return.

With the hares Daryl had killed and the supplies Sasha, Maggie, and Bob had provided, there was enough food for everyone with a little left over for sharing in the morning. Supper was ready just as the others returned to the house with a good haul of formula and diapers. Beth welcomed them back enthusiastically – she'd spent the time her sister was gone anxiously pacing the front room with Judith. The rest of the group was civil, but the air crackled with tension. Tyreese occasionally threw dark looks across at Carol, but he said nothing. Maggie behaved as though Carol didn't exist, which was an improvement over the open hostility from before.

Dinner conversation consisted of catching up with the news each group brought from the prison. Maggie stabbed at her dinner in silence while Sasha described the horrors they'd found at the prison bus. Daryl held himself stoic though grief cut through him at the thought of all those people dead. Though initially resistant, he'd gradually gotten to know the newer members of their prison family, and their deaths hit him hard. The group finished their meal quietly, eating hurriedly to end the uncomfortable gathering as quickly as possible.

After they'd cleaned up and packed away their remaining supplies, everyone dispersed through the house, thoroughly ransacking the place for useful items. People also began staking claims on rooms to sleep in for the night. Lizzie and Mika immediately disappeared into one of the bedrooms on the first floor that had apparently belonged to a girl similar to them in age, where they tore through the closets and dressers for clean clothes. Sasha, Maggie, and Beth decided to keep Judith with them in the master bedroom upstairs, on the opposite side of the building from where Carol would be staying. Daryl had claimed the other upstairs bedroom for the two of them. He'd be damned if he left Carol alone – or worse, with others who might not trust her. Bob and Tyreese set up in the guest room downstairs.

Sasha volunteered for first watch, and Bob quickly offered to join her. They stepped out to the front porch in the darkening night as everyone else retired to their new rooms to sleep. Within an hour, the house was quiet.

Daryl followed Carol into the bedroom he had claimed for them, feeling a little awkward now that it was just the two of them. From her fidgeting, he guessed she was feeling the same. She dug through the closets looking for clothing the group could use, making a pile near the door. There were decorative tea lights set up around the room that so far in their existence had only ever been decorative. Daryl pulled out his lighter and lit every one he could find to push back the growing darkness. Then he laid out a couple blankets he'd grabbed from the linen closet to make a bed for himself on the floor.

When he was done, he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the chest of drawers across from the bed. Carol had perched herself daintily on the end of the bed as though afraid to fully commit to being _on_ the thing. She pulled at a thread on the hem of her shirt with a crease between her brows.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

He sighed and shrugged. Fuck if he knew. "Ty seemed better. Don't think it's likely he'll try to hurt'cha again, but there's somethin' you should know. Earlier today, he was talkin' 'bout Lizzie, sayin' she was doin' things, sayin' things – she was givin' him the creeps. I hope he ain't gonna put it together that she's the one you're protecting."

"God, Daryl, I just don't know what to do! She's just a kid, but I'm afraid she might hurt someone else if I don't do something. But what can I do? I promised I'd take care of her, but there's no psychiatrists anymore, no doctors. No medicine. Not really." Her shoulders slumped. "I can't help her. Not any more than I could help Sophia."

She looked so small and defeated sitting there. Daryl felt torn, wanting to offer some kind of comfort, but not sure how. He'd been the one to fail Sophia, not Carol, and that guilt ate at him every day. His own pain and grief would be nothing compared to what she must endure. Her fragile body held more strength than he ever would have believed when they first met. Now another child was lost. Maybe not physically, but lost all the same.

Carol took ragged breaths, trying to keep herself under control. A few rogue tears slipped free, which she quickly brushed away before apologizing to him, of all things.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to get all weird on you," she said with a watery smile. Here she was agonizing over this little girl, but at the same time trying to rescue him from feeling a little uncomfortable.

Her incredible selflessness drove him to act. He stood in front of her and put out his hand. "C'mere."

She put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. Her eyes shone in the candlelight, and he let himself get lost in the liquid blue for a moment. Her tears had left her eyelashes spiky, making his chest hurt with the want of kissing away her pain. Tension hummed over his skin as his body became hyper-aware of her closeness. Her hand still rested in his, and he stroked his thumb across the back of it. Her lips parted as she drew in a breath. He brushed her hair back over one ear before catching her cheek with his hand.

"You ain't gettin' all weird. You care 'bout people, and that's just who you are. Shouldn't ever hafta feel bad about caring. Sophia was a lucky kid havin' you as her mama, jus' like Lizzie an' Mika's lucky to have you now."

Carol's free hand came up to cover his where it rested on her cheek, and she squeezed her eyes shut over a fresh wave of tears. She gasped in a breath as she lost her battle against the sob welling up inside her. He pulled her in close, letting her cry into his shoulder while he rubbed her back in a way he hoped was soothing. He hadn't meant to make her cry, but he was pretty sure anything was better than standing at the dresser like an asshole doing nothing.

Even after she settled down and stopped crying, she didn't pull away, so he stayed put, holding her and smoothing her hair at the back of her neck. Eventually she did pull back, and he was disappointed for a moment, but she didn't leave him. Placing her hands on his chest, she stretched up to plant a kiss on his cheek, pausing briefly with her lips pressed against his skin before easing back and looking up into his eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured with a soft smile.

She was still in his arms, looking up at him with those wide, beautiful eyes of hers, and he felt balanced on the edge of something. Time slowed as the moment filled with all the maybes and what ifs that had ever teased his mind in the dark, quiet nights – all those things he couldn't think about directly in the light of day. His breathing picked up and without meaning to, he pulled her in tighter. He wasn't sure who moved first – maybe it didn't matter – but he suddenly found himself with his mouth hovering just above hers. Heat crept up his neck, whether from desire or nerves, he didn't know. Maybe both. They had barely moved, but he felt like they were spinning wildly out of control which left him both exhilarated and terrified.

Slowly, carefully, he brought his lips to hers, and a molten fire sparked deep inside as her body melted against his. Though it was a soft, simple kiss, it left him shaky and breathless. He pulled back slightly, and she stayed pressed against him, eyes closed and chin tipped up. When she finally opened her eyes, they were dark and hungry, and they pulled from him a longing for something he'd never known in his life, though he couldn't have put words to what exactly it was. Whatever it was, it felt good.

Her hands slipped up from his chest to pull his face back to hers. This time the kiss was heated, and with courage dredged up from who knew where, he let his tongue slip out to sweep across her lip. Her mouth opened in a breathy moan that made his blood surge to his groin, and his hips rock forward to grind against hers. If she'd had any doubts about his desire for her, there was no way she didn't know now. He wanted her. He wanted all of her. He dragged her tight against him and kissed her hard, tongue probing and tasting, wanting to explore everything she would offer him, wanting to devour her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back just as hard. Her tongue pushed and moved against his, and she nipped at his lower lip, making him rumble deep in his throat.

They broke apart suddenly, gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed, as he was sure his were, judging by the burning sensation there. She was shaking in his arms, but smiling as she ran her fingers up into his hair from the back of his neck, sending tingles over his scalp and down his spine.

He wanted nothing more than to throw her onto the bed and ravage her until they were both spent and weak, but he knew it was terrible timing. Their lives had just been shattered, they'd lost their home and much of their family, and half the family they had left was turning on them. There was danger here, not just from walkers and madmen, but from within the walls of their shelter. From the emotional minefield they'd been walking the last few days. His caveman brain howled at him furiously for even considering backing off, but the rest of him knew that slowing down would be better in the long run.

He tipped his forehead to press against hers. "Would it be OK if...if we didn't do this just yet?"

She pulled her head back with hurt in her eyes. "What?"

"No, I don't mean nothin' bad! It's just, with everything that's happened the last couple days, it's kinda all too much."

He kissed her to soothe unintentionally bruised feelings and tucked his nose just below her ear. "Don't misunderstand. I _want_ this. I want _you_ – one whole helluva lot. But things bein' like they are, I don't wanna fuck this up."

She didn't answer for so long, he thought he might have already fucked it up. But she finally relaxed into him again and nodded. "It's OK."

"Just don't forget," he said as he kissed the pulse beating in her throat, "we found each other. I ain't gonna lose you again."

Her arms tightened around his neck, and he knew it would be all right.

Pulling away from him, she went to the dresser and started putting out the tealights. "We should probably get some sleep. Got another long walk ahead of us tomorrow, and I expect there won't be a lot of conversation to pass the time," she said with a wry smile.

He blew out the candles on the night table, pulled off his boots, and stretched himself out on his pile of blankets on the floor while she climbed into the bed above him. After a moment, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw her peering over the side of the bed at him, propped on her elbow.

"What?" he asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"You don't have to sleep down there, you know. It's a lot more comfortable up here and there's plenty of room."

He hesitated, unsure about whether he could do that and still convince his cavemen brain to behave.

"We don't have to do anything you're not ready for," she said, "but I'd really like you here with me. It would be nice not to feel so alone."

He stood and she moved over to make room for him. Very carefully, he slid himself under the covers next to her. She was curled with her back to him on the very edge of the mattress, giving him as much space as possible. He lay on his back for a few minutes, frowning up at the invisible ceiling and feeling anxious. Finally, he couldn't stand the gulf between them anymore – it felt like a gaping chasm, though they were only a foot apart. Turning onto his side, he reached over to rest a hand at the dip of her waist.

"Can I?" he asked.

She turned her head toward him a little as she considered it, then shuffled over to let him slip his arm around her. He pulled her in close, snuggling her up against him, her back to his front. His blood still hummed from before, so he made sure to keep his hips back a little. If he let his erection press against her ass, there was no way he'd be able to control himself twice.

She brought her arm up to lace her fingers into his where they rested against her belly. He kissed her shoulder softly and felt the tension in her body melt away. Contentment washed over him as he relaxed against her. As he drifted toward sleep, he wondered if it was wrong to feel so happy when everything in their world was so fucked up. And just before sleep finally claimed him, he nuzzled into her neck and decided he didn't give a shit if it was.

* * *

Adrenaline-laced fear surged through him, and he was on his feet searching for the source of danger before he even registered what had shocked him from sleep. From downstairs he could hear shouting as well as a high, wordless screaming that made his stomach churn. Carol was struggling into her boots and shouting for him to go, so he grabbed up his crossbow and ran for the stairs, not bothering with his own boots.

He thundered down the stairs as more voices started shouting and screaming, including Judith's terrified wailing. The commotion was coming from the downstairs guest bedroom. He lurched to a halt in the doorway as the sights and smells hit him.

Blood was the first thing he registered and for a moment, that was the _only_ thing that registered. He'd forgotten how much blood could come from a human body – especially a body as large as Tyreese's. There was a pool of blood at the head of the bed, along with some spray up the walls from arterial spurting. A streaked and spattered trail went from the bed across the floor to where the big man's body lay in the middle of the room. The rest of his life's blood made a huge, squelching dark pool in the carpet around him. The terrible screaming was coming from Sasha as she pulled at his body on the floor, trying insensibly to rouse him from whatever she thought was keeping him still. Bob was trying to get Sasha to come with him, to come away from the body, and Maggie was shouting and trying to drag a struggling, sobbing Mika from the room.

Eyes initially drawn to all the ruckus, ice flooded his veins when he finally followed the direction Ty had been moving and saw the other person in the room. Lizzie sat crouched on top of the dresser in the corner, lurking like a gargoyle. A fine spray of red was misted over her clothes and face. Her hand and the knife in it were covered with blood. Her head was cocked to one side as she stared glassy eyed down toward the floor at the corpse she'd made.


	5. Eruption

_Holy fuck._

The words echoed over and over in Daryl's mind. Shock left him immobile as he gaped at the horror show in front of him. The metallic smell of blood was overwhelming, and combined with the screams ringing in his ears, it made his head swim. He looked in the direction Ty had been crawling to see Lizzie crouched on the dresser in the corner, covered in blood and staring down at Tyreese's body with just a hint of a smile. He shuddered. There may be walkers roaming the earth, but this little girl was just as soulless.

Sasha was still pulling at Ty's body, though her wordless screams were gradually becoming body-wracking sobs as she began to realize he wasn't getting up again. Bob had an arm around her shoulders and was talking softly in her ear, trying to calm her and convince her to go into the other room away from the blood and the body.

"Mika! You have to come with me – you shouldn't be in here!" Maggie was trying to drag the struggling girl away from the bloodbath.

"Lizzie! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let it happen! Lizzie, I'm sorry I didn't wake up! _Lizzie!_" Mika wailed as she fought to reach her sister.

Oblivious to Mika's thrashing, Sasha knelt in an ocean of her brother's blood as her deep sobs subsided into gasping breaths. Daryl's stomach dropped when he saw her burning eyes come up to fix on Lizzie. Her shock and grief had flared into a white-hot rage.

"_Animal!_" she snarled. "I'll _kill_ you!"

She lunged for Lizzie in the corner whose attention was still completely on Ty's body on the floor. Bob made a grab for Sasha's arm, barely catching her as she moved. Daryl stepped in front of Lizzie, with a hand out in case Bob missed. One death was enough for today. Bob managed to get his good arm around her waist, and Daryl moved forward to put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Ain't nobody killin' anybody!" he said firmly.

"It's a bit late for that!" snapped Maggie. Daryl whipped his head around to glare at her.

His scathing reply died on his lips as Carol rushed in. She came to a stumbling halt as she saw the blood and Tyreese's motionless body. When she saw Lizzie in the corner with her bloody knife, her hands clapped over her mouth, and her face went white. "Oh, God!"

Mika fought free from Maggie's grip and ran to cling to Carol, sobbing over and over again that she was sorry. "It's my fault! I didn't wake up! I couldn't stop her!"

Carol wrapped an arm around the girl, but had no words to comfort her.

Sasha pushed at Bob and Daryl trying to get free and continued screaming at Lizzie who finally started to notice there were others in the room. "You murdered my brother, you—you...monster! Why would you do it? Why? Dammit, _answer me!_"

Lizzie looked up at Carol, then turned her piercing stare over to Sasha. She looked puzzled, as though it should be the most obvious thing in the world. "He was going to hurt Carol. I couldn't let him do that."

Carol's knees gave way and she sank to the floor in the doorway, whispering, "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God."

Maggie's eyes locked onto the older woman. She breathed hard as anger flared, and she jabbed a finger at Lizzie. Her voice turned to an ugly hiss. "Oh my fucking god. It was her, wasn't it? Lizzie was the one who killed Karen and David, and _you_ were protecting her." The finger zeroed in on Carol now. "You knew she was a goddamn psycho, and you left her running loose with a knife? You fucking _knew?_"

"You knew... You crazy, fucking _bitch! _Ty is dead because of you! This is _your fault!_" Sasha twisted out of Bob's grip and ran at Carol with a shriek.

Lizzie leapt to her feet on the dresser, eyes blazing. She screamed as she launched herself at Sasha, knife raised. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

It all happened at once, but Daryl saw it in slow motion, feeling as though his feet were stuck in quicksand – like one of those terrible dreams where you try to run from some unseen horror but just can't make yourself move. His body fought itself as it couldn't decide where he needed to be to prevent more bloodshed, leaving him rooted helplessly to the spot. Someone else moved, though, and in an instant, his heart stopped dead in his chest. Her blue eyes wide and desperate, Carol pushed Mika aside before flinging herself between Sasha and Lizzie's knife.

"Lizzie, NO!"

Daryl could see Lizzie struggle to turn her knife away when she saw Carol, but it wasn't in time. A spray of blood arced through the air, and Carol cried out as their bodies collided. They landed sprawled on the floor, with Carol clutching her arm as blood soaked into her shirt.

Lizzie climbed onto the woman, shaking her by the shoulder and whimpering into her pale face, "Carol? Please don't be hurt! Please? Are you mad? Carol?"

Bob rushed over to Sasha who was keening limply now in anger and grief. He put his good arm arm around her shoulder, pulling her away from the others and out of the room. Maggie backed herself against the wall, apparently unwilling to chance making herself the focus of Lizzie's attention. Mika cried quietly near the doorway with snot and tears running down her face.

Carol was hurt - how bad was it? Lunatic woman could have gotten herself killed doing crazy shit like that! Daryl took one hurried step toward her, but he was jerked off his feet when something clamped tight around his ankle. He hit the floor with a grunt as the wind was knocked out of him.

The familiar rasping sound made his blood run cold. _Fuck!_ In the chaos, no one had taken care of Tyreese. He kicked out against the hand on his ankle. He scrambled backward crab style in a panic – he hadn't stopped to put on his boots, and the thing that used to be his friend was steadily dragging itself on its belly closer and closer to biting range. Daryl struggled and kicked, casting his eyes around frantically trying to spot where his crossbow had landed when he fell. He heard Carol call his name and turned to see her shove his bow toward him with one foot. It stopped just out of his reach, so he fought against the monster at his feet, trying to gain those last few inches.

There was more screaming, and suddenly the iron grip around his ankle went slack. He scrambled away, snatching up his crossbow and wheeling around on his ass to take aim. When he looked up, he was stunned to see Mika sitting on the corpse's broad shoulders, panting and staring down at the handle of her knife that was now buried in the back of Tyreese's head, up through the base of his skull.

"What did you do?" Lizzie's voice was equal parts shock and outrage.

Mika turned to face her sister, holding her hands up in front of her. "Lizzie, he was going to kill Daryl! You know that, Lizzie, please!"

"He wouldn't have killed him! He just would have _bit_ him! I've been waiting for him to wake up – I was going to show him outside and let him go find his new friends, but you messed everything up! You always mess everything up!"

And quick as a snake, she dove at her sister with her knife, but this time there was no one to block Lizzie's path. Mika screamed as she threw herself backward off the body trying to avoid the flashing blade. Lizzie's eyes were flinty hard as she made one more lunge for Mika. But at the last moment, with a grunt and an exhale of breath, she stopped. Her eyes dropped down, looking in confusion at the crossbow bolt buried deep in the side of her ribcage. She lifted her head to look up at Daryl, still holding his bow trained on her in shaking hands. He made himself hold her gaze, accepting the accusation of betrayal in her eyes as she dropped her knife and slumped down to the floor with one last bubbling wheeze.

For one brittle moment, the only sound was the distant squalling of a frightened Judith from some other part of the house.

Then the room erupted.

* * *

**A/N: I'm still mad at Maggie.**


	6. Compunction

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The Walking Dead. Damn, I wish I did, though.**

* * *

For an instant after Lizzie's body hit the floor, the air was solid ice – a matrix holding everyone and everything frozen in place. Daryl's lungs filled once, then emptied. It was only the space of a breath, but it was time enough for the memories of every single thing he'd ever done in his entire life that he'd had cause to regret to be dredged up to the surface, with this moment at center stage. What had he done?

The ice filling the room cracked, and once a flaw appeared, the whole thing shattered and everything happened at once. He dropped his crossbow as if it burned him and shoved himself to his feet and leaned on the wall. He drew in deep breaths, trying to squelch the churning nausea in his belly.

Mika, who had been scrambling like a terrified animal away from Lizzie moments ago, now let out an agonized howl like he'd never heard before. She rushed back to her sister's side and hovered there crying hysterically. She rocked back and forth over the body, moaning her sister's name over and over again. Unable to bring herself to reach out and touch her, she pulled instead at fistfuls of her own hair.

On the other side of Tyreese's now truly dead body, Carol had stared in open-mouthed horror as Lizzie attacked her sister. When Lizzie fell with a bolt in her side, Carol screamed, "NO!" and clawed her way over to her girls, forgetting the wound on her arm, which now bled freely again. Bright blood ran down her arm, soaking her sleeve and dripping from her fingertips to smear on everything she touched. She turned Lizzie onto her back and burst into gut-wrenching sobs that tore Daryl's heart in two. She stroked her hands over the girl's face and hair, then looked up at Mika, throwing out her uninjured arm to pull the howling girl close and clutch her to her chest.

Behind him, Daryl heard Maggie start to laugh. It was cold and brittle, but as it grew, it gained a note of hysteria. He looked over to see her staring at Carol in disbelief.

"Jesus. What the fuck? _Now_ you're upset? Tyreese is fucking dead on the ground because of you, but you're crying over that little psycho shit? Fuck me! Rick was right to send you away. Should've done it sooner!"

Carol turned anguished eyes to Maggie, looking more vulnerable than Daryl had ever seen her. A white-hot fire burned away the nausea in his gut. He whirled on Maggie and stuck a finger in her face. "Get the fuck out. Right now."

"Or what? You'll shoot me, too?"

Pain stabbed through his chest, and he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to shove back the image of Lizzie's expression of betrayal as she died. His eyes snapped open again, and he grabbed Maggie by the upper arm and forcibly escorted her out of the room. "I said get the fuck out. Make yourself fuckin' useful and send Bob in here. And find him that fuckin' first aid kit y'all brought in."

She yanked her arm away from him, and glared, but she went. He turned back in to the room and closed the door, resting his head against it for a moment, struggling to pull himself together.

"Mika, you know what we need to do." Carol's words broke into Daryl's awareness, and the sick feeling returned in a rush. Someone had to make sure Lizzie didn't come back. They'd already left it too long as it was.

"I'll do it," he said. Carol looked up to meet his eyes, her face blotchy and tear-streaked. She nodded and stood, taking Mika and sitting at the foot of the bed, away from the pools of blood.

Daryl reached down and pulled Mika's little knife from Tyreese's skull, wiping it off on his pants. He knelt by Lizzie's body and looked down into her open eyes. Even in death, the accusation in them made him cringe. He reached out to close her lids, and positioned himself so his body blocked Carol and Mika's view, then turned Lizzie's head to the side and plunged the knife in, ending any chance of her hurting another person ever again. As he pulled the knife back out, his hands began to shake and he closed his eyes against his swimming vision. A cold sweat broke out over his skin. He dropped the knife and bolted through the door, nearly running over Bob who was on his way in and Maggie right behind him with a first aid kit and another camp lantern in hand.

Daryl burst through the front door and down the porch steps, stumbling to his knees to puke in the yard. He heaved until there was nothing left but acid that burned his throat. When he was done, he spit into the grass and sat back on his heels. He looked up into the night sky and let the breeze cool the sweat from his skin. How the fuck had things come to this? He'd done what he did to save Mika's life, but would Carol ever forgive him for killing Lizzie? Could he ever forgive himself? He dropped his head and groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes.

Eventually he stood and trudged back into the house. Bob had brought Carol into the living room and had cut away her sleeve to expose the long slash on her forearm. He was cleaning the blood away while Mika peered over his shoulder.

"You're lucky nothing important was severed, but it's too deep just to wrap. We need to stitch it." Bob frowned and glanced up at Carol. "I can't do it with one hand, though."

Daryl stepped forward to meet Carol's eyes. "I can do it."

"Have you ever done it before? I know Maggie's—"

"No!" Daryl cut Bob off before he could suggest letting Maggie anywhere near Carol with something sharp. "I can do it."

Bob raised his eyebrows and gave a nod. He stepped aside and showed Daryl what he would need, giving him instructions on what to do. He made Carol move over closer to the lantern to give Daryl the best light possible.

Daryl's stomach fluttered faintly. Suddenly he was glad there was nothing left to throw up. He'd dealt with his fair share of split lips and busted knuckles and had even stitched Merle up once or twice after some serious dust ups. But he'd never had to tend to Carol before. Seeing her skin sliced open and her blood oozing out made it completely different from anything he'd had to do in the past. It made him recognize with a lurch that she could have died. Sure, he knew that – had always known that any of them could die at any time. But seeing her hurt made it sickeningly real. This _mattered_. And though it made him nervous as hell, he'd be damned if he'd trust anyone else to take care of her.

Taking a deep breath to try to steady his hands, he pushed the needle through her skin at the edge of the cut. She flinched as he pulled the thread through, but didn't make a sound. Following Bob's calmly spoken directions, Daryl carefully stitched up her wound. Carol combed the fingers of her good hand through Mika's hair and talked to her to keep them both distracted.

"Sweetheart, can you tell me what happened tonight? What made you think you had something to apologize for?" Carol asked.

Mika's face darkened. "I told you before, Lizzie's messed up. Before, it wasn't so bad, and I used to calm her down when she would get like that. Almost always I could keep her from doing stuff she shouldn't. It got worse, though, since the walkers, and she wouldn't always tell me anymore when she got upset. She didn't tell me today, and I didn't wake up when she went out. I didn't wake up, so I couldn't stop her. It's my fault Tyreese is...is—"

Carol put her good arm around the girl again and hugged her tight. "Oh, baby, it wasn't your fault! I promise it wasn't. Lizzie was sick – it wasn't something you could fix. And it wasn't your responsibility to keep her from doing things. It wasn't your fault, sweetheart, OK?"

Daryl's gut twisted. He could hear in her voice that she blamed herself instead.

When he tied off the last stitch, Bob had him bandage the wound as well. When that was done, Bob sent Carol and Mika off to clean up and go get some sleep, then went upstairs himself to find Sasha.

Wanting to give Carol and Mika a chance to get settled, Daryl went back into the bedroom where the bodies still lay on the floor. He pulled the bloody blankets from the bed and used one to cover Lizzie. Gathering up a second blanket, he looked down at Tyreese's body. He was such a big man it was hard to believe such a tiny girl had managed to kill him. He crouched down and heaved the body over onto its back. There was a deep, gaping wound on one side of his neck. From the blood pooled on the bed, Daryl guessed she'd slashed his throat while he was sleeping, catching the artery. He'd gotten himself up, but hadn't made it very far from the bed before collapsing and bleeding out. Sasha and Bob must have found him when they came in from watch.

Though they hadn't been particularly close, Daryl had liked and respected Tyreese as a strong and loyal ally. He'd been gentle of nature and sometimes struggled living in such a harsh world. He and his sister both were fine people, and the group at the prison was lucky to have gotten another chance to take them in. With a sorrowful nod of respect, he draped the blanket over Ty's body. Tomorrow they would put them both to rest.

Picking up the lantern and his crossbow, Daryl made his way up the stairs. He could still hear voices coming from the rest of the group gathered in the master bedroom. But he turned and went away from them, toward his own room. Part of him hoped that Carol was already asleep. His stomach clenched anxiously thinking about having to talk to her about what had happened tonight. He couldn't even sort out his own reactions to everything, never mind dealing with how Carol might be feeling about it. About him.

He extinguished the lantern and carefully turned the knob, trying not to make a sound in case she was asleep. Pressing his lips together, he steeled himself and pushed through the door, gently setting his crossbow and the lantern down just inside. He closed the door behind him and waited, letting his eyes readjust to the darkness.

Carol appeared to be sleeping, curled up on the bed with Mika. Of course Mika would be here. She couldn't sleep alone after what happened. So he slipped silently to his blankets he'd arranged at the side of the bed and stretched out, resting his head on the pillow Carol had tossed down for him.

He heard movement on the bed above him and realized Carol wasn't asleep after all. His own chances of sleep were just about zero, so he supposed it wasn't surprising. Looking up, he saw her peering down at him again, so he sat up next to the bed. Neither of them seemed to know what to do. Daryl couldn't even begin to translate his swirling thoughts and churning emotions into words, so he waited. Eventually, she just reached out to take his hand and gave it a squeeze before letting him go and turning away to curl up around Mika again.

It left him just as uncertain as before about how things would be between them now. He would just have to wait and see. For the moment, all he could do was try to sleep. Despite sleeping much rougher than this many times, the floor seemed particularly hard and unforgiving tonight. He spent a long time shifting restlessly before finally drifting off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He was awake again before first light, but chose to stay put so he didn't wake Carol or Mika. They both needed as much sleep as they could get after last night. He'd had unsettling dreams the rest of the night – nothing he could quite call a nightmare, but he woke with a sick dread in his stomach that he just couldn't shake.

As dawn broke, Carol and Mika began to stir. They dragged themselves up from sleep, but they were both hollow-eyed and pale. Carol gave Mika a quick hug and sent her downstairs to ask Beth for some breakfast and to see if she needed any help with Judith. It would help keep her mind off things if she had responsibilities to tend to.

Once they were alone again, Daryl felt just as lost as he had last night when they stared at each other in the dark. This heaviness between them might just kill him if it continued much longer, but he had no clue how to make it better.

"Guess we better go face the music, huh?" she said softly.

"I guess..." he said with a frown. He didn't want to leave the room before knowing how she was feeling. Before knowing where they stood.

"Daryl?" Her sad eyes were full of concern.

He scowled at the floor and wished he knew what he needed to hear. "I...I just..." He blew air through his nose in frustration. "I killed Lizzie! There weren't a way around it that I could see, but now I can't stop seein' her face, and I'm scared shitless you won't be able to forgive me for it. I...there's just—fuck, I don't know!"

"To be honest, I don't know, either."

He glanced up, worried about what that might mean.

With a bitter laugh, she continued. "I'm pretty much a complete wreck right now, and I'm doing my best to keep it together for Mika's sake. I don't know what I feel about Lizzie and...what happened. Yes, you killed Lizzie, but you saved Mika, and quite frankly, it's confusing – I haven't sorted through what I feel about it. And as for the rest of it, I don't know what I'm going to face when I go down those stairs. People that I know and love as family don't trust me anymore – don't want me here." Her voice wavered and cracked, and her face twisted in her effort to keep back the tears. "And it's my fault that two of those people are dead now, so they _shouldn't_ trust me. I've lost everything that ever mattered, and I've screwed my life and everyone else's all to hell!"

A crushing pressure dropped on Daryl's chest. It squeezed his voice into a strangled whisper. "So...I don't matter?"

Her brows drew together. "What? Of course you do!"

"You said you lost everything that ever mattered, but you ain't lost me."

Her eyes blinked wide as it sunk in what she'd said. She crossed over to him, putting her palms to his cheeks. "Oh, god, Daryl, no! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that!"

The pressure on his chest evaporated at her words, and he wrapped his arms around her in his relief, pressing his cheek against her temple. "You ain't lost me, and you ain't ever gonna lose me if I can help it. Whatever the hell happens today won't change that. Ain't _nothin_' gonna change that."

She squeezed him tight and choked out a sound that he couldn't decide was tears or laughter. So he decided to go all in. He turned his head so his lips were right at her ear.

"So what if you're a wreck? I'm a wreck. Hell, we're all fuckin' basket cases right now. It don't matter. I love you, and Imma be here for you no matter what."

She jerked back to fix him with a shocked stare. He felt his cheeks flush a little under the scrutiny, but he quirked a corner of his lips, hoping like hell he hadn't royally fucked this up by dropping this on her when she was so vulnerable.

But she gave him a soft smile back and let her eyes drift closed as she leaned up to kiss him. And even though it was a sweet, simple kiss, his heart skipped double time. She drew away, so he let his hands slip down to her hips.

"So," he drawled, "guess we best go see what kind of clusterfuck is waitin' for us downstairs."

"I guess so," she agreed with a hint of a smile.

So they put on their boots, strapped on their weapons, and headed downstairs together.


	7. Repercussions

**Though I'm annoyed with Maggie for her easy acceptance of Rick's banishing of Carol, I actually like her rather a lot most of the time. But somehow in this story she hopped the bitch train and won't get off. So apologies to Maggie and Maggie fans.**

**Sorry also for the delay in getting this done. This last couple weeks were ass-tacular, and I didn't have much chance to write.**

**Disclaimer: The Walking Dead and all related characters do not belong to me. Hain't no profit happenin here.**

* * *

Carol paused at the top of the stairs. Daryl stayed half a step behind her, waiting until she was ready to take the plunge. The shit had already hit the fan, and this morning he expected they'd see where it landed. She turned to glance uncertainly up at him. He peered back at her through his overly long hair and let his fingers drift to the small of her back as both a gesture of support and encouragement to get this the hell over with. She sighed and started making her way down.

There was no one in the front room, so they went to the kitchen. The murmuring voices went silent as soon as they appeared in the doorway. Daryl eyed everyone cautiously, waiting to see what would happen. Maggie was the only one who seemed hostile. Sasha was staring out the kitchen window with red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks on her face. Beth sat at the table feeding Judith and watching everyone nervously. After a moment, Bob stepped forward apparently as an intermediary.

"Morning. So...uh. We're just about finished with breakfast in here. Gonna go lay Tyreese to rest after." He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "We're leaving Lizzie to you."

Daryl glanced over to the table where Mika was sitting. She had been finishing her food, but now she stared down at the last of it with teary eyes.

Carol nodded with eyes lowered, accepting that she was to be excluded from anything to do with Ty's burial. "And after that?"

Bob turned back to Maggie for a moment of silent communication. Sasha continued gazing blankly out the window. Then he turned back to Carol and Daryl. "After that, we're continuing on to this Terminus. Maggie's sure that if Glenn made it out, he'd go there looking for her. We...would prefer you not come with us."

Pressing her lips together to hold back whatever she might be feeling, Carol nodded again.

"We're taking the kids," Bob added reluctantly.

"No!" Carol's eyes snapped up, and she took a step toward the table, but Maggie stepped forward, too, as if to intercept her. "You can't take Mika away! If you think I'm going to let you leave with her-"

"Well, we think she'll be safer with us!" Maggie interrupted her. "None of _us_ have a history of letting kids die. You're two outta three already – I think it's pretty clear who ain't fit to be a mother."

Carol's hand flew to her mouth, and she shrunk back as if the words had been a physical blow. Shocked to the core that anyone, let alone Maggie, could be so vicious, Daryl stepped in front of Carol protectively, though he knew the damage had already been done. Bob had wisely put a hand on Maggie's arm and pulled her back. He spoke softly into her ear, then pushed her to stand behind him near Sasha.

Daryl shook in his rage, but kept himself in check for Carol's sake. He snarled, "What the fuckin' hell is wrong with you? How could you say somethin' like that?"

Bob held up a placating hand. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. But we _are_ taking the kids with us." He turned to fix Maggie with a warning glare.

"Fuckin' A, it was uncalled for! And there ain't no way in hell you're takin' Mika with you," Daryl growled.

Bob shook his head. "We've discussed it and decided-"

"Did anybody ask what Mika wants?" The sharpness in the normally soft voice surprised them. All eyes turned to the table, where Beth sat, her eyebrows up and her jaw set.

Mika had been watching the exchange with terrified eyes, looking as though she might burst into tears at any second. Now she turned those eyes to Beth in confusion. "Nobody ever asks. I'm just a kid."

"Doesn't matter. You're a person, it's your life, and you should be allowed to choose." Beth threw the rest of the group a blistering look before returning her attention to the girl across from her. "So who would you choose to go with?"

Mika's eyes flicked back and forth between Beth and the others in the room. "I want to stay with Carol."

Maggie snorted, but managed to keep her mouth shut.

Bob frowned, but nodded. "Fine, but Judith comes with us. There's more of us to protect her."

He took a step forward and continued earnestly, "Look, I'm sorry it's gotta be like this, but you know we can't all stay together. We split the supplies as best we could, so nobody's going without."

Daryl gave an abrupt nod acknowledging that Bob was right. The group was fractured beyond repair – he'd known before they came downstairs they'd be left on their own. As long as Carol had Mika and he had Carol, they could deal with it.

"Sasha? It's time to go bury Tyreese." Bob took Sasha's arm and led her away from the window. Her devastation over her brother's death left her unresponsive, and she followed Bob without question or any apparent interest in what was happening. But as they approached the door, she lifted her face to meet Carol's gaze briefly. Neither of them spoke, but Daryl could feel the powerful weight of the look they shared, laden as it was with anguish, sorrow, and regret.

Maggie followed behind, and other than a sneer, she kept her opinions to herself. Daryl kept himself between her and Carol as she went, but was surprised to feel Carol's hand on his arm, gently pushing him aside.

"Maggie?" Carol said as she stepped up beside him. "I hope you and Glenn find each other again."

Maggie's face twitched as emotion rippled across her features too rapidly to identify. She lifted her chin and strode out the door without looking back.

Beth gathered up the baby and her things from the table. "I'm _so_ sorry Maggie's bein' so awful. She's hurting...'cause of Daddy. And she's scared about Glenn. Not knowin' if he's alive or dead is killin' her."

Daryl looked down at Carol. Seemed to him _she'd_ been left to agonize over Sophia's fate at the farm, and she'd never taken it out on other people. In fact, she'd shown compassion for Lori and Rick when their own child was on the verge of death, and she'd reached out to _him_, drawing him into the group kicking and screaming until he'd become part of a family. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side.

Beth brought Asskicker to Carol and passed her over. "Might as well spend some time with her before we go. I'm gonna miss you so much. But I can't leave Maggie now that I've got her back. I can't." Tears rolled over her cheeks, and her lip quivered as she tried to hold them back.

"I know. She's your sister." Carol gave Beth a watery smile and put a hand to her face before letting her go join the others preparing to bury Tyreese. After Beth was gone, Carol pressed her cheek to Asskicker's and trembled with the effort not to cry.

Daryl glanced over to Mika, who seemed to be trying her best to be invisible. When she noticed him watching, she shrank even further into herself. So he pulled Carol close to his side and kissed her on the head. When she raised her eyes to his, he nodded over toward Mika and reached out to take Asskicker. Carol handed over the baby and went to sit by Mika, who threw herself onto Carol's lap, flinging her arms around her, and burying her face in her shirt. Daryl watched the two of them as he bounced the baby, his heart breaking for them both.

Then he turned his attention to the child in his arms. In just a few minutes, she would be taken away. The thought of never seeing her again stirred a deep longing inside him. Her little life would move on without him, without Carol. She'd walk and talk, and discover the world – a harsh world where she'd likely learn to hunt, hide, and kill instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic. He'd never get the chance to know the person she would grow up to be, and he missed her already, mourning her as though she would be dead instead of just gone. So he talked to her. He leaned in close and told her all the things he wouldn't be able to tell her later. He told her about his brother Merle and about her mother Lori. He told her about Sophia, Hershel, and Tyreese, who she would never know, but who would have loved her. And he told her about Carol who loved her as a mother, and who he loved with all his heart.

Eventually, Mika's tears eased, so Daryl brought the baby back to Carol so she could say her goodbyes. She juggled Judith with her uninjured arm and walked around the room, talking to her much as he had, telling her she would always be loved even if they weren't together. Her voice was unsteady, but her eyes were dry.

When Beth poked her head into the kitchen a couple hours later, he felt the tension rise. It was time. They all filed out into the front room where half of their remaining family was ready to leave them. Carol passed Judith back to Beth, giving her one last kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful out there. Keep each other safe." Beth's chin wobbled with her effort not to cry.

"You, too," Carol replied softly.

After that it got incredibly awkward. Beth threw her arms around Daryl in a one-sided hug. It wasn't that he wouldn't miss her, she just caught him off guard, and he didn't know how to react. Maggie eyed them coldly and fidgeted by the front door, clear in her intention to get out of there as quickly as possible. Bob made his half-hearted goodbyes, then fussed with the bag he carried. The little group finally made its way to the door, but Sasha turned at the last minute, breaking out of her melancholy enough to catch Carol by the arm. Her voice was raw, and her sunken eyes were bleak.

"I do understand. I know you were trying to protect that little girl. I see that. But because of you my brother – my only flesh and blood in this shit world – is dead. And I won't ever forget that." After a long look, she dropped Carol's wrist, turned, and left.

The silence in the room after they closed the door behind them was heavy. Mika drifted over and slipped her hand into Carol's. Looking down, Carol smoothed the girl's hair and tried to smile.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go start collecting anything you want to take with you?"

"You won't leave without me, will you?" Mika sounded even younger than her years.

Carol knelt beside her and pulled her into a one-armed hug, leaving her wounded arm tucked against her ribs. "Of course not! We love you, and we'd never, ever leave you behind, would we?"

"Hell, no. Rather leave my crossbow behind."

Mika turned her wide eyes on him, and a little smile broke through the fear and sorrow on her face. She tucked her shirt behind the handle of her knife and marched into the bedroom she and Lizzie had shared to gather up the things they had found to keep.

Carol watched her go, still kneeling in the middle of the room. He could see the moment the walls broke down. She'd been keeping everything in since last night – trying to be strong for Mika, trying not to let anyone see the depth of her wounds. Her face was tight as she watched Mika leave, then it all crumbled. Her head dropped forward and her shoulders convulsed as the sobs wracked her thin body. Daryl knelt and put a hesitant hand on her shuddering back. She flung herself against his chest, and his arms automatically wrapped around her. He held her tight as all the heartache and anguish she'd been holding back surged up and poured out of her in a flood of tears. She clung to him with her good arm as the sobs tore through her, but even in her pain, she was nearly silent – the only sound her gasping breaths.

Suddenly she pushed away from him, her head down, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. She pulled in a deep breath to bring herself back under control. When she finally opened her eyes, they were hollow and tired, but she smiled a little. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

"Sorry. Getting weird again."

He brushed away the last of her tears with his thumb. "Told you – ain't weird. Just wish I could do somethin' to make it better."

"Don't worry. You do." The faint smile faded, and she turned toward the other bedroom where blood and death awaited. "But now we need to go bury my little girl."


End file.
